Torpedo net



1, @9 36. A. E. BR!CKMAN 2,408,367

TORPEDO NET Filed March 6, I945 a X a INVENTORI Patented Oct. 1, 1946 TORPEDO NET Alan E. Brickman, New Haven, Conn., assignor to The American Steel and Wire Company of New Jersey, a corporation of New Jersey Application March 6, 1945, Serial No. 581,309

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a torpedo net having a mesh structure. There are two types of torpedo nets in general use: one type being used to protect moving vessels, and the other type being used to protect stationary objects. The nets may also be divided into two classes in regard to the manner in which the torpedo is caught: one type catches the torpedo by the propeller, and the other type catches the torpedo by its nose. In the nose catching type, the mesh is generally of an interwoven grommet design except a new type which is secured at each intersection by a fixed clip and is disclosed in my co-pending application entitled Torpedo net and method of making the same, Serial No. 581,310, filed March 6, 1945. In the propeller catching type, the mesh is connected so as to slip at the intersections. Regardless of the type of net, however, it may break due to the shock of the torpedo hitting it and therefore I propose to use a shock absorbing connection in the net to protect it against breakage.

It is, therefore, an object of my invention to provide a torpedo net structure having a shock absorbing seam incorporated therein.

This and other objects will be more apparent after referring to the following specification and attached drawing, in which:

Figure 1 shows the shock absorbing seam be fore the torpedo strikes the net; and

Figure 2 is a similar View showing the position of the seam after the torpedo strikes the net.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the reference numeral 2 indicates the longitudinally extending head rope of the torpedo net, which is connected in the usual manner to booms extending from the vessel. A wire rope 4 of substantially greater length than the head rope 2 is connected thereto by means of clips 6 at spaced apart intervals, a loop being formed in the rope 4 between each pair of clips; Attached to the wire rope 4 by means of clips 8 is a longitudinally extending wire structure H! which is arranged in a zigzag Weave with a second longitudinally extending wire structure l2, the wire structures being fastened together by means of slip clips [4. These clips are preferably of the type disclosed in my copending application, Serial No. 581,311, filed March 6, 1945. However, other types of clips could be used. It will be seen that the wire In as it leaves the left hand clip 8 passes under the wire structure 12 to a clip l4, over the wire structure l2 to a second clip l4, and then in like manner passing alternately under and over wire structure [2 between the clips M. The mesh structure of the net is formed of a plurality of wire structures l6 fastened together by means of clips la, The wire structures l2 and [6 are also fastened together by clips [3. If used with a propeller catching net, the clips It will be slip clips, preferably of the construction described in my above mentioned pending application, but the slip clips 14 will be designed to slip at a lower pressure than the clips i8. Therefore, when a torpedo hits the net, the Wires l0 and I2 will move with respect to one another within the clips 14 to the position shown in Figure 2 and absorb the initial shock caused by the torpedo striking the net, thus preventing breakage of the net. Thereafter slippage will occur between the wires in the clips l8. Since the torpedo covers a relatively small area of the net it sets up different stresses in the various stranded structures thereof, thus causing the stranded structures, connected by means of the clips 6, to slip with respect to one another. In case of a nose catching type of net, the clips 18 are non-slipping, preferably of the type disclosed in my copending application, Serial No. 563,286, filed November 13, 1944, entitled Method and means for securing fittings to wire structures. The shock of the torpedo striking the net will be absorbed by the slip seam formed by wire structures II] and 12 in the manner described above. Instead of being connected to the rope 4 the horizontal shock absorbing slip seam may be attached directly to the head rope or at a lower point than shown, the only requirement being that it be used between the area of torpedo impact and the supporting rope. The reason for this is that penetration of the not normally occurs when fast running torpedoes encounter a mesh structure having a border line strength value and little or no inherent yield. A catch of the same torpedoes with the same net is quite probable if there is present in the net construction an inherent yield which provides the time lag necessary to the absorption of the peak stresses. The greatest stresses resulting from torpedo impact are transmitted to the supporting rope.

While my invention has been described as relating to a horizontal shock absorbing seam, it may also be used at any angle between the horizontal and vertical, In such arrangements, the seam is connected to the sections of the net in the same way as the horizontal seam and functions in like manner.

While one embodiment of my invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent that other modifications and adaptations may 2. A torpedo net as defined inclaim 1 inwhich i the shock absorbing seam comprises two stranded wire structures, slip connections between the two,

wire structures, means for connecting one of said wire structures to the rope, and means for connecting the other wire structure to the mesh structure.

3. A torpedo net structure or the like comprising a plurality of sections and a slip seam between at least two of said sections, said slip seam comprising two stranded wire structures, slip connections between the two wire structures, means for connecting one of said wire structures to one section and means for connecting the other wirestructure to the second section.

4. A torpedo net structure or the like comprising a head rope, a mesh structure suspended therefrom, and a horizontal shock absorbing seam between the head rope and mesh structure, said shock absorbing seam comprising two stranded wire structures, slip connections between the two wire structures, means for connecting one of said wire structures to one section and means for connecting the other wire structure to the second section.

ALAN E. BRICKMAN. 

